Template



May 18, 1965 E B. SHAW 3,183,596

TEMPLATE Filed April 25, 1964 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,183,596 TEMPLATE Earnest B. Shaw, 1309 E.Seminole, McAlester, Okla. Filed Apr. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 362,130 4Claims. (Cl. 33-90) This invention relates to a template and moreparticularly to a device for facilitating the cutting of rafters to beutilized in the construction of a sloping roof having given angles ofuse, or pitch with respect to the horizontal.

As conducive to a better understanding of the instant invention it is tobe understood that each rafter utilized in the construction of a roofrequires several specific cutting operations to form the same into thenecessary dimensions and configurations. The size and shape of therafters will depend upon the width of the building, the pitch of theroof, the dimensions of the other structural elements, such as theridgeboard, the plates or the like, and the finished design the roof isto have. One end of each rafter is adapted to perpendicularly andabuttingly engage a substantially horizontally positioned centralridgeboard, the other end forming an overhang with an intermediateportion resting on substantially horizontally extending plates supportedby vertically extending studs or supported by the top of the masonrysidewall.

A primary object of'this invention is the provision of an aid in cuttingrafters which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable andefi'icient in operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive tomanufacture and maintain.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a template whichincludes means defining guides for marking cutting lines on each end ofthe rafter and also intermediate the ends of the rafter, to receive theplates at the top of a vertical wall.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rafter cuttingaid of the type described having means defining a guide for marking acutting line to form a con ventional horizontal bottom box cornice onthe rafter.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a template havingalternate guide means for marking a cutting line parallel to, and spacedfrom, the primary guide in the event ridgeboards of differentthicknesses are utilized.

A still further object of the instant invention is to provide a seriesof such templates each having a predetermined pitch.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements,arrangement of parts, and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be pointed out as the description ofthe invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational vie-w of one form of template inaccordance with the instant inventive concept;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially online 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional View through a template for usewith a wider rafter;

FIGURES 4 to 8 are side elevational views to a smaller scale oftemplates in accordance with the instant inventive concept havingdifferent pitches; and

FIGURE 9 is a side elevational view of a modified template having cutoffmeans for marking a cutting line to form a horizontal box or sealedcornice.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in generally and more particularly toFIGURES -1 and '2, one embodiment of the device of the instant inventionis designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprisesbasically an oblique parallelogram with a substantially planar face3,183,595 Patented May 18, 1965 element 12 of four edges for receivingthereagainst one side surface of a rafter (not shown) to be cut, and atwo part oifset right angular flange element 14 for receivingthereagainst one longitudinal edge or bottom face of the rafter to becut. Longitudinally inclined side edges are parallel to each other, asare vertical end edges 16 and 18. The bottom edge is inclined upwardlyfrom the horizontal by an angle equal to the pitch angle or angle of useof the erected rafter. Four interior angles are formed between ends andsides, two of them being equal to the complement to the angle of rise oruse, and the two remaining angles being equal to the supplement of saidfirst two interior angles. One straight end edge '16 defining a verticalguide for marking a cutting line on the end of the rafter which is to beabuttingly engaged with the ridgeboard, the other straight end edge 18of the face element defining a vertical guide for marking a horizontalcuting line on the end of the rafter which is to form the fascia oroverhang, and an intermediate portion 20 of the face element defining aguide for marking cutting lines on two faces of the intermediate portionof the rafter which is to rest on the horizontally extending plates atthe top of the wall. Each flange portion terminates at the cutout 2%) bya straight face, perpendicular to the longitudinal side edge of saidface plate whereby cuts made from the intersection of the cut out edgesof 20 and the perpendicular flange edges define planar seats for the topof a vertical side wall which is perpendicular in plan to said rafterwhen erected and in use. The front surface of the face element 12 canhave marked thereon a building width and rafter length chart 22 tofacilitate correlating these dimensions, the specific rafter lengths foreach building Width being readily determined by those with ordinaryskill in the art. A longitudinal pair of apertures 24 at a predeterminedspacing is provided for storage of the template It). At least twovertically spaced apertures 26 are preferably provided to define atleast one alternate guide for marking a vertical cutting line parallelto, and spaced from, the end edge 16 of the face element to accommodateridgeboards of different thicknesses. A second set of apertures 28 areshown to illustrate the use of a second alternate guide for ridgeboardsof still different thicknesses. Legends 30 may be provided to indicatewhen the alternate guides are to be utilized.

The intermediate guide or cutout 20 on the face plate includes asubstantially vertically extending rise edge 32 parallel to the end 16and a substantially horizontally extending run edge 34 the ratio of thelengths of these two edges defining the pitch of the template 10. Apitch legend 36 maybe provided on the surface of the face element toindicate by the numerator and denominator, the partic ular pitch of thetemplate, which as shown in FIGURE 1 is 6/12.

Templates having pitches of 5/12, 4 /2/12, 4/12, 3 /2/12, and 3/12 areshown in FIGURES 4 through 8, respectively, and parts similar to partsof the embodiment of FIGURE 1 are designated by like reference numeralsfollowed by the suflixes a through 2.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the cross-section'of a template in which like partshave been designated by the same reference numeral followed by thesulfix f, the face element 12 of this embodiment being enlarged toaccommodate a wider rafter.

Means are also provided for defining a guide for marking a cutting lineon the rafter to form a conventional box or sealed cornice, the means inthe embodiment of FIGURE 1 taking the form of a pair of horizontallyspaced apart apertures 38. In FIGURE 9 a modified embodiment is shownwherein like parts are' designated by like reference numerals followedby the suflix g, the means for defining a guide for marking a cuttingline on the rafter to form a box or sealed cornice in this embodimentincluding an edge 40 of the face element 12g.

The use and operation of the template of the instant invention will beapparent from the above description.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved templatefor facilitating the cutting of rafters which satisfies all of theobjectives of the instant invention, and others,.including manyadvantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concept, andsince many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbeforeshown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is tobe interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A template comprising (1) a planar face plate element having a pairofparallel longitudinal straight side edges, and a pair of paralleltransverse straight end edges, the pairs of edges being oblique to eachother, at an angle which is complementary to the angle of use of therafter,

(2) a longitudinal edge of said plate elementintermediate the end edgeshaving means to provide a two edged out out portion with afirst cut outedge 7 parallel to amend edge of said face plate, and a second cut outedge intersecting the first cut out edge at right angles, each cut outedge terminating at an intersection with said longitudinal side edge ofsaid planar face plate and dividing said longitudinal edge into twoportions,

(3) and coplanar flanges disposed in the same direc tion perpendicularlyaway from the face plate element at each portion of said longitudinalside'edge, each flange terminating at said cut out by a straight markingedge perpendicular to said longitudinal side 4, edge of said face plateelement, whereby cuts made from the intersection of said first andsecond cut out edges and said marking edge of each portion defines seatsfor thetop of a vertical side wall which is'perpendicular in plan tosaid rafter.

2. The structure of claim .1 and in additionat least one alternate guidemeans on said face plate adjacent each ofsaid transversely obliqueendedges, and adjacent each of said longitudinal side edges.

3. The structure of claim 1 andv in addition a guide means on said facebetween said cut out portion and one of said transversely oblique endedges, the means being parallel to said second cut out edge.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in addition, a pair' of longitudinallyspaced apart apertures, and a pitch legend on said face plate elementlocated between one of said apertures and an adjacent transverse endedge of said face plate element. 7

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 485,456 11/92Cook 33-112 X 904,003 11/08 Naldrett 33-90 Y 975,494 11/ 10 Adams 33--901,704,462 3/29 Crandlemere 33--113 1,852,277 4/32 Wheeler 3390 X 71,899,318 2/33 DiXOn;

2,713,203 7/55 I Gottlieb 33111 X 2,965,969 12/60 Haley 33-90 3,010,20911/61 McKinley 33-90 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Science, How to CutRafters, July 1959, pp. 165 and 166,.33112.

ISAAC L ISANN, Primary Examiner,

1. A TEMPLATE COMPRISING (1) A PLANAR FACE PLATE ELEMENT HAVING A PAIROF PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL STRAIGHT SIDE EDGES, AND A PAIR OF PARALLELTRANSVERSE STRAIGHT END EDGES, THE PAIRS OF EDGES BEING OBLIQUE TO EACHOTHER, AT AN ANGLE WHICH IS COMPLEMENTARY TO THE ANGLE OF USE OF THERAFTER, (2) A LONGITUIDNAL EDGE OF SAID PLATE ELEMENT INTERMEDIATE THEEND EDGES HAVING MEANS TO PROVIDE A TWO EDGED CUT OUT PORTION WITH AFIRST CUT OUT EDGE PARALLEL TO AN END EDGE OF SAID FACE PLATE, AND ASECOND CUT OUT EDGE INTERSECTING THE FIRST CUT OUT EDGE AT RIGHT ANGLES,EACH CUT OUT EDGE TERMINATING AT AN INTERSECTION WITH SAID LONGITUDINALSIDE EDGE OF SAID PLANAR FACE PLATE AND DIVIDING SAID LONGITUDINAL EDGEINTO TWO PORTIONS, (3) AND COPLANAR FLANGES DISPOSED IN THE SAMEDIRECTION PERPENDICULARLY AWAY FROM THE FACE PLATE ELEMENT AT EACHPORTION OF SAID LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE, EACH FLANGE TERMINATING AT SAIDCUT OUT BY A STRAIGHT MARKING EDGE PERPENDICULAR TO SAID LONGITUDINALSIDE EDGE OF SAID FACE PLATE ELEMENT, WHEREBY CUTS MADE FROM THEINTERSECTION OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CUT OUT EDGES AND SAID MARKINGEDGES OF EACH PORTION DEFINES SEATS FOR THE TOP OF A VERTICAL SIDE WALLWHICH IS PERPENDICULAR IN PLAN TO SAID RAFTER.